An international network that links thousands of computers using telephone and cable links. Users connect to server computers, which are rather like a local phone exchange: you use a modem to connect to the server from home and so access the entire network. You can send email over the Internet and transfer files and text from a PC in London to another in New York, all for the price of a local phone call. To get on to the Internet, you'll need a modem and an account with a server, normally called a service provider.
